Mercy Amid Miseries

One thing in life that is sure is death. We do not know what day we are going to die. A particular disease may tell us that it will be soon. But death is not only all around us. It is in us. In Psalm 103:15, 16 we read: "As for man, his days are as grass: as the flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more."

This David wrote after stating that God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. All this we sing beautifully in this versification (PRC Psalter):

The Lord remembers we are dust, And all our frailty knows. Man's days are like the tender grass, And as the flower he grows. The flower is withered by the wind That smites with blighting breath; So man is quickly swept away Before the blast of death.

All this stands in connection with the truth that we are to bless God and remember all His benefits. But in that connection comes the comforting assurance, that rich truth, that like as a father pitieth his children, so God pities us.

Before us then is the blessed truth that our fading and withering does not hurt us but serves us. God knows our frame and that we are dust. Our afflictions do not surprise Him. He sends them, and at the right time sends us death. And He sent His Son into our death in order to bore a hole through it and the grave, so that we can be lifted up from this sin-cursed world and into His glorious kingdom. All this comes in lovingkindness and tender mercies.

Until the day we arrive in that glory, God does have compassion on us. He does not forget us. He sends no misery that is not necessary for our particular place in glory. Our light afflictions which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (II Corinthians 4:17).

"…The reason why God deals with such liberality towards us is, that we may be led to celebrate his praise; but at the same time he condemns our inconstancy, which hurries us away to any other object rather than to God." -- John Calvin

Last modified on 28 September 2018

Additional Info

Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.